what you need to know about bees
Beekeepers and scientists are still unsure what is causing the loss of so many bees, but the fact is that bees are disappearing at alarming rates all over the world.
watch our short film about bees in the UK
Video transcript – Plan Bee: what you need to know
bees – the facts
If people were to take over from bees in the UK, it would require a workforce of 30 million
- Tim Lovett
President of BBKA
Approximately one-third of what we eat is pollinated by bees.
In the UK alone, bees contribute £200m a year to the economy through pollination. In all, bees play a crucial role in pollinating some 90 commercial crops worldwide.
Crops reliant on bees for pollination include: apples, pears, raspberries, plums, cherries and strawberries. However, it’s not just fruit and vegetables; alfalfa, a major cattle crop, is 90% reliant on pollination by bees.
In southern Sichuan, China, pear trees are pollinated by hand after the uncontrolled use of pesticides in the 1980s killed the honeybee population. The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) estimate that if people were to take over the job of pollination from bees in the UK, it would require a workforce of 30 million.
Bees also work hard pollinating our gardens, meaning better flowering plants and increased yields of fruit and vegetables.
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crops pollinated by bees
Examples of crops pollinated by bees include:
Alfalfa, Allspice, Almonds, Apples, 
Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado, Blackberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Cacao, Cantaloupe, Caraway, Cardamom, Carrots, Cashew, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Cherries, Chicory, Chives, Cinnamon, Citrus, Coriander, Cranberries, Cucumbers, Currants, Dill, Fennel, Garlic
Gooseberries, Kale, Leek, Macadamia, Mango, Mustard, Nutmeg, Onion, Parsley, Parsnip, Passion fruit, Peaches, Pears, Plum, Pumpkin, Radish, Raspberries, Squash, Sunflower, Tangerine, Tea, Watermelon
Source: A Spring without Bees by Michael Schacker, Lyons Press, 2008, appendix 9.
the disappearance of bees
In the USA, approximately one third of hives have been lost over the last two years – around 800,000 colonies in 2007 and 1,000,000 in 2008. If bees continue disappearing at this rate, it is estimated that by 2035 there could be no honeybees left in the USA.
US hive losses have been blamed on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a collection of symptoms including large-scale disappearance of bees from the hive, to which a singular cause cannot be attributed.
The UK Government Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) claim that Colony Collapse Disorder is not yet in the UK. However, according to a survey carried out by the BBKA, 33% (or one in three) of the UK’s 240,000 honeybee hives were lost in the winter and spring of 2008. This is compared to 'normal' yearly losses of around 5–10%.
Losses have also been reported in other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Brazil and Argentina.
what could be causing these losses
No-one knows for certain what is causing the hive losses; however there are many theories including:
- pests (such as varroa mites), viruses, bacteria and fungi
- pesticides such as neonicitinoids, which are picked up by bees as they pollinate sprayed crops
- genetic narrowing of the species through breeding of bees that are more docile and produce good honey yields, but are more susceptible to pests and disease
- lack of nutrition and loss of habitats – related to urban sprawl and farming methods
- bad weather, including spells of particularly wet weather or sudden cold spells
- poor husbandry – for example in the USA beekeeping is a vast industry, with bees trucked vast distances across the country to pollinate different crops.
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your questions answered
A representative from our Plan Bee team has answered questions about bees and Plan Bee:
Why is The Co-operative campaigning on bees?
How many bees are dying, and why?
Is there anything we can do to encourage bees into our gardens?
How our gardens impact on bees
How easy/difficult is it to have a hive in your garden?
Are we seeing evidence of CCD in the UK, or is our problem something different?
Research is needed to rescue bees
Have mobile phones made bees disappear?
Could there be a link to genetically modified crops?
Bee nests and wasp nests - what's the difference?
I don’t like honey, so why should I care?
Why prohibit neonicotinoids?
Won’t this put farmers out of business or make fruit and vegetables much more expensive?
How can I become a beekeeper?
Why is The Co-operative campaigning on bees?
As one of the UK's largest farmers and a significant food retailer, The Co-operative Group recognises the importance to bees to our business as they pollinate a third of the food we eat. Find out what we're doing for bees.
How many bees are dying, and why?
According to a survey carried out by the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), a third of the UK's 240,000 hives were lost in the winter of 2007/08. In the winter of 2008/09 the loses were slightly less at a fifth, however this is still over double the expected normal yearly losses. No-one knows for certain what is causing bee populations to decline. Climate change, pesticides, non native bee species, viruses, a mite called Varroa and even mobile phones have been blamed. The Co-operative Group committed £150,000 in 2009 to bee health research, with a particular focus on the impact of pesticides and the potential benefits of the native black honeybee. More details about our research.
Is there anything we can do to encourage bees into our gardens, and where do they build their nest?
There are lots of things you can do to attract bees to your garden, including planting wildflowers. See the What you can do section of the Plan Bee website. Honeybees live in hives that house around 40 to 50,000 bees in the height of summer, however if there is a sudden drop in temperature, or it rains heavily when they are out foraging, then they do need somewhere to shelter. This could be in long grass or densely planted flowers, or maybe in a bee box.
People need to stop concreting over their garden, and leave spaces for bee friendly plants, such as wildflowers and buddleia. It's saddening to see the amount of gardens turned into car parks, and I'm sure the lack of flowers, open spaces etc is making the situation worse. I think it is fair to say that the trend towards more manicured gardens, which reduces habitats for all wildlife, has had an impact on bees. That is why The Co-operative has been giving away 20,000 packs of wildflower seeds at membership events. If everyone who received a packet of seeds planted them, a significant amount of land would be covered up and down the country with flowers suitable for bees.
How easy/difficult is it to have a hive in your garden?
It is very easy to have a hive in your garden. There is a minimum amount of equipment, which you can buy either new or second hand. The best way of finding out is to contact your local beekeepers' association who will, on joining, be very helpful and will teach you how to look after bees.
Download a list of local beekeepers associations [PDF: 87KB]
The time commitment is about one hour ever two weeks, from mid-April to September, and then almost nothing in the rest of the months. From one hive you may yield 10-30kg of honey, but it is very variable, depending on the weather. I hope you become a beekeeper as it is a very satisfying pastime.
Are we seeing evidence of CCD in the UK, or is our problem something different?
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a collection of symptoms (mass desertion of the hive with only the queen and the brood/babies remaining) to which a singular cause cannot be attributed. It is a wide spread issue in America. The UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) believe that Colony Collapse Disorder is not yet in the UK, however some beekeepers disagree and believe that it is. Either way it is acknowledged that the UK is suffering unusual yearly losses, in the winter of 2008/09, a fifth of hives were lost, double the expected normal yearly losses.
The reduction in the bee population appears to be due to a mite that is infecting the bee hives. A concerted research project is necessary to find out what will kill off this mite and rescue the bees. How can we help?
No one knows for sure the reason for the recent decline in the UK bee population; however climate change, pesticides, genetics, viruses and the Varroa mite have all been blamed. This is why we are committing £150,000 to research as part of Plan Bee. Please see the What you can do section of our website for practical things you can do to support bees.
Is there any evidence at all to the frequently voiced theory that mobile phone radiation is harming the bees? I would definitely give up my beloved mobile if the choice was between it and honey!
I don’t believe that there is any credible evidence that mobile phone radiation is harmful to bees. The film we showed at our members’ events refers to the researcher whose work supposedly proved this, and that researcher has said that the results do not show them as being harmful.
Could there be a link to genetically modified crops?
Get more information on research carried out by the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) on genetically modified crops and their effects on wildlife, including bees.
How can you tell the difference between a bees’ nest and wasps’ nest?
People are more sympathetic towards bees; perhaps bees’ nests are being destroyed as they are mistaken for wasps’ nests. For more information on wasp nests and bee hives, please see the Questions and Answers section of the British Beekeeper Association website.
I don’t like honey, so why should I care?
Bees are much more than just honey producers; did you know that they pollinate around a third of our food and through this contribute £165 million to the UK economy alone each year? They pollinate apples, pears and strawberries, amongst others, as well as alfalfa – a major cattle crop – so dairy products and meat also rely on bees. For more information, see the What you need to know about bees section.
Why prohibit the neonicotinoids family of pesticides?
These chemicals have been implicated in honeybee colony collapse and, restricted elsewhere in Europe, most notably France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia. Neonicotinoids act on the central nervous system and in insects can cause paralysis which leads to death, often within a few hours. Worryingly these pesticides are also thought to build up in pollen, which the bees take back to the hive and feed the young potentially leading to birth defects and development problems. Tests recently carried out in Germany, following large-scale bee die-offs, showed that 29 out of 30 bees examined had a build-up of the neonicotinoid, clothianidin. As a precautionary measure The Co-operative Food will engage with suppliers to eliminate their usage where possible and until such a time as they are shown to be safe.
There are partial bans/restrictions on neonicotinoids in France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia but not in the UK. As a precaution the Co-operative has acted now to prohibit the use of these chemicals."
Won’t this put farmers out of business or make fruit and vegetables much more expensive?
The prohibition of these eight pesticides means that growers must find an alternative way of managing pests, either through use of less harmful pesticides or different management techniques. If there is no other way to grow the crop without these pesticides then a derogation (permission to use the pesticide with certain controls in place) can be obtained for that particular grower and crop for one year only.
How can I become a beekeeper?
Get details of your
local UK Beekeeping Associations.
Got any questions about Plan Bee, or the plight of bees?
Submit a question to The Co-operative.
Find out
what you can do for bees.
Find out more about
what The Co-operative is doing for bees.
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